Is Shigefusa worth the price?

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Marko Tsourkan said:
Shigefusa is not an optimal knife for professional kitchen or for sloppy home cooks, as it requires maintenance even if you build up a patina (I am referring here to Western style knives in kasumi or kitaeji )

Edge retention is better than White steel, but not as good as AEB-L, 52100, A2, etc.

It is however, one brand that is consistently well finished (I have seen many Shigs) and almost without flaws (very minor if any). Unlike most Japanese makers, Shigefusa pays close attention to details and finish on their knives and their heat treatment is very good - sharpening is very easy.

Whether it is worth the money, it's up to what you are looking in a knife.

If you are looking to get a knife from a very reputable Japanese maker, made in traditional way (forged, heat treated by eye, hand finished, engraved kanji), it might be worth it.

If you are looking for a performance knife that requires minimum maintenance and has a superb edge retention, there are better alternatives for the money.

M
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Funny, the shig I sent to the US a few weeks back had very little reactivity (only on the blade), fine edge retention, nice finish etc. I'm sure a shig will perform well in a pro-kitchen - with a little care (obviously one would care if the bought one - it's a gem). There must be a reason why shig is so treasured among many people. Some might not consider it custom - I do - the man makes the knife himself and has more experience than most knifemakers will ever get ;)
 
I am talking in objective terms here. We all have preferences, but what's asked here is an honest advice with cons and pros.

I have owned a number of Shiges (still do) and followed what people said about them for years. I don't know anybody who uses one in a pro environment as their go-to knife for reactivity reason (Western style knives). Low carbon cladding is going to be more reactive than core steel, and unless you replace it with stainless, as Carter and other makers do, reactivity will be an ongoing issue. KU are better in that regard, as cladding is only partially exposed.

Devin has done comparison on Shige's edge retention vs White steel and 52100 and my reference is partially based on that, and partially on my own experience and what I have told by other users.

M
 
I understand your point! Still one has many tasks during a day in the kitchen - a lot where the shig could be used. The cladding - from what I've heard you're spot on - very reactive. The kasumi as we all know is less reactive. I personally prefer some kind of stainless cladding - just to be on the safe side because things can be hectic in the kitchen sometimes = forget to wipe of the knife for 15-20 min = not good if a shig is used. Still ... they are awesome knifes - I think.
 
Marko Tsourkan said:
Shigefusa is not an optimal knife for professional kitchen or for sloppy home cooks, as it requires maintenance even if you build up a patina (I am referring here to Western style knives in kasumi or kitaeji )

Edge retention is better than White steel, but not as good as AEB-L, 52100, A2, etc.

It is however, one brand that is consistently well finished (I have seen many Shigs) and almost without flaws (very minor if any). Unlike most Japanese makers, Shigefusa pays close attention to details and finish on their knives and their heat treatment is very good - sharpening is very easy.

Whether it is worth the money, it's up to what you are looking in a knife.

If you are looking to get a knife from a very reputable Japanese maker, made in traditional way (forged, heat treated by eye, hand finished, engraved kanji), it might be worth it.

If you are looking for a performance knife that requires minimum maintenance and has a superb edge retention, there are better alternatives for the money.

M
Click to expand...

Peco said:
Funny, the shig I sent to the US a few weeks back had very little reactivity (only on the blade), fine edge retention, nice finish etc. I'm sure a shig will perform well in a pro-kitchen - with a little care (obviously one would care if the bought one - it's a gem). There must be a reason why shig is so treasured among many people. Some might not consider it custom - I do - the man makes the knife himself and has more experience than most knifemakers will ever get ;)
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No I have to agree that a shig is not my 1st pick for work, very reactive, kanji is much worse in this regard. If you are behind a sushi bar and can wipe the blade after every cut, and dry it befor you put it down for a rest then I could see it being used in a pro way. His non-kanji knives are fine in a pro shop, I use 2-3 every day.
 
I have owned about 15 different shigefusa blades...they are all a step (a large step) above other makers in the same price range...if you want cheap...go Masamoto KK...best value in the market considering the quality control. If you want something higher end than shigefusa be prepared to spend a lot. I would say Doi blades are a step above the shigis...but then again they run $800 plus...
 
vai777 said:
...they are all a step (a large step) above other makers in the same price range... ...go Masamoto KK...best value in the market considering the quality control...
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A step (large or otherwise) really means nothing. Exactly what quality(ies) of single bevel knives (I'm assuming only single bevel. Correct me if I'm wrong.) are you referring to where the Shig excels above others in the same price range?
 
tk59 said:
A step (large or otherwise) really means nothing. Exactly what quality(ies) of single bevel knives (I'm assuming only single bevel. Correct me if I'm wrong.) are you referring to where the Shig excels above others in the same price range?
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It's significant in performance, edge holding and geometry, even out of the box they are pretty much good to go. The taper is always perect on both single and double bevel knives and the finish is superior to any other kasumi line made..
 
bechler said:
How does the Gesshin Hide Yanagi compare to the Shig? From what I've read this knife seems to be just as good.

http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com...n-hide-300mm-blue-1-hon-kasumi-yanagiba.html#
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havent tried the gesshin stuff...frankly a lot of the newer lines I haven;t tried, I'm only referencing stuff like masamoto, mizuno tanrnjo, watanabe, ittosai, aritsugu, nenohi, suisin, ect... The best band for the buck is the masamoto KK line..without question...the sharpness out of the box is garbage but put in a little work on the stones and it will cut just as well as anything else out there...you want something comparable to the shigi and around the same price point...Masamoto KA...
 
vai777 said:
It's significant in performance, edge holding and geometry, even out of the box they are pretty much good to go. The taper is always perect on both single and double bevel knives and the finish is superior to any other kasumi line made..
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Interesting. I've used a few Shigs (double bevel only) and I find their performance is nice but not amazing. Edge holding is okay. I wouldn't say it blows other carbon steels out of the water or anything. I will agree that the finish is very nice.
 
My shig gets the workhorse treatment at work. Of course, I'm a caterer, not doing line work.
 
I don't own any Shige gyutos, but I do have their yanagiba and yes, it's worth the price. Mostly it's because they're so unique; absolutely nothing handles like the shigefusa. It's thinner and lighter than other brands and the profile is pretty unique as well. It really feels like an extention of your hand, and I don't have that "fits like a glove" feeling with any other knife I own. It's a really special knife that really can't be compared to any other brand (Aritsugu, Konosuke, Masamoto, etc.). I'd recommend a 300mm one to compensate for its lightness.

And I just have the kasumi version. The kiteji wouldn't be worth the price for me because no knife is worth $700. Of course this is just personal bias and the fact that there are just too many other things I could do with $700 (like buy more knives :)) than to spend it all on one knife.
 
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